PT FREE!!

Today was my last physical therapy appointment! My PT said I have made excellent progress but should continue with my home exercise program. I'm still having some aching pain after being physically active, but she said that should start to lessen over time. By 6 months out, I shouldn't be having much pain.

It definitely feels like a major milestone in this unreal journey. I am now able to drive, though extended periods of driving does cause my ankle to ache. I can walk without crutches, though sometimes I hobble a bit. Most of my shoes fit, as long as I don't spend too much time on my feet. The biggest problem is the aching late in the day and throughout the night. I've been icing it in the late afternoon, and yesterday I took an Aleve because the pain was so bad. Slow but steady. My PT said it could take a year before I feel "back to normal." A year. A year of my life because of a steep jetway.

Summer "Break"

This has been a bizarre summer. I have just returned from two trips. The first was a week in Boston for my annual convention. I spent most of my time on my crutches, with occasional walking in the boot without them. My stamina was much lower, and I found that I had to put my foot up and rest for at least an hour each afternoon. I didn't have the energy to go out with friends and colleagues in the evening. Traveling was a real pain in the neck. While my foot didn't set off any metal detectors, I had to be taken aside at each airport so that my boot and hands could be swabbed for explosive powder residue. At Logan airport, it took an eternity to get through security because they only had one female rep on staff. I offered to take my boot off, but they said that wouldn't help. I'm grateful for the extra security (especially in light of what happened this past week with Scotland Yard foiling a terrorist plot involving airplanes), but it definitely was made worse by the fact that I was in a walking boot with crutches.

Once I returned home from the Boston trip, the family all piled into the minivan and drove 3500 roundtrip miles to Colorado and back. I was able to get around better without the crutches, wearing the boot, but a few days I overdid it and ended up in pain at night. The hotel where we stayed in Colorado had a hot tub and I made a point to sit in that a few times, which did help. It would have been nice to go hiking in Colorado, but that was nearly impossible in my condition. We did visit Boulder Falls (absolutely beautiful) and I was able to "hike" a few yards up the trail, but then had to wait for the rest of the family so that they could go to the top and view the falls. I was more concerned about coming back down and whether or not I would be stable enough to make it.

While my summer hasn't been ideal, I'm just glad that I wasn't completely incapacitated. It will definitely be a summer I won't soon forget.